The present invention relates to a method for producing chewing gum granules and compressed gum granules, which method comprises at least the steps of feeding a gum composition including at least gum base into an extruder, pressurizing the gum composition in the extruder, extruding the gum composition through a die plate, and cutting the extruded gum composition in a liquid filled chamber. The present invention further relates to a chewing gum product, and to a chewing gum granulating system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,645 disclose a chewing gum base formulated as a hot viscous blend, which is extruded in an extruder though a die plate after which the extruded product is cut into pellets in a liquid that also cools the extruded product. The liquid and the formed pellets are conveyed to bulk containers for transport to further processing, i.e. dewatering and mechanical mixing with other ingredients to produce a chewing gum.
A similar process is disclosed in WO 02/094032, which describes a process and apparatus for producing gum pellets by extrusion through a die plate and cutting of pellets in a liquid-filled chamber. The ingredients comprising gum base, fillers, sweeteners, intense sweeteners and flavour are mixed beforehand to form a mixture e.g. a bubble gum mixture. The mixture is feed to an extruder and extruded and pelletized and cooled in a liquid. The liquid transports the pelletized product to a centrifugal dryer that separates the product from the liquid. The separated products are then dusted with an anti-agglomerating compound and coated or otherwise packaged for consumption.
Traditional chewing gum is manufactured by mixing a gum base with flavours, sweeteners, plasticizers and other ingredients into a homogenous, coherent mass which is cooled and shaped into gum centres. The gum centres can be coated to form the final chewing gum. Such chewing gum has a very comfortable texture and other good qualities. However, some of the active ingredients such as flavours or added pharmaceutical agents, in case of a medical chewing gum, may break down or deteriorate during the production due to heat and the mechanical mixing.
Chewing gum comprising gum granules either as free flowing granules or in compressed form, i.e. tabletted chewing gum made from gum granules, has a tendency of giving the consumer an unpleasant feeling due to separation of the individual granules or to separation of the mixture of gum composition.